The present invention relates to a card processing apparatus, more precisely relates to a card processing apparatus capable of reading data from and/or writing data in a card-shaped storage medium.
In many game arcades, players use prepaid cards for getting game media, e.g., game coins, pachinko balls. For example, in a pachinko hall, a player inserts a prepaid card into a ball lending unit, which is usually provided between adjacent pachinko machines, so as to get pachinko balls.
A conventional pachinko ball lending unit is disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2003-30589 (see FIG. 1 and paragraphs 0025 and 0043–0045). In the lending unit, a present point datum written in a card, which corresponds to an amount of money, is read by inserting the card into a card read-writer. Then, pachinko balls are fed from a ball feeding nozzle. A number of feeding balls is within an allowable number based on the present point. When the pachinko balls are fed, the card read-writer subtracts a used point corresponding to the number of the fed balls from the present point, then writes the subtracted points in the card. By writing the subtracted point, the present point of the card is updated. If the present point left is zero, the card is discharged from an outlet, which is provided under the card read-writer, and collected in an accommodating section. With this structure, the pachinko ball lending unit can be simple and compact in size. Therefore, the lending unit can be provided in a narrow space between adjacent pachinko machines. Since the accommodating section is separated from the lending unit, volume of the accommodating section can be large so that a large number of cards can be accommodated. Further, the accommodating section can be easily opened and closed, so that cards can be easily collected.
Another conventional pachinko ball lending unit including a card processing apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2001-34815 (see FIG. 1 and paragraphs 0018 and 0060). In the lending unit, a card accommodating section, in which a plurality of cards can be piled, is provided in a housing. When the present point left in the card is zero, the card is accommodated in the card accommodating section. Further, the card, which has been once accommodated in the card accommodating section, can be reissued. The card accommodating section is detachably attached to the housing, so the cards in the card accommodating section can be collected by detaching the card accommodating section from the housing. If a money identification unit, which identifies money inserted therein, is connected to the lending unit, an amount of money inserted in the money identification unit is added to the present point of the card, which has been accommodated in the card accommodating section. Then, the updated card can be reissued. Namely, the card, whose present point corresponds to the money inserted in the money identification unit, can be reissued.
However, the conventional lending units have following disadvantages.
In the lending unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2003-30589, the card read-writer does not issue the card. Therefore, the player cannot buy the card in cash. When the point left in the card reaches zero, the player must leave the pachinko machine so as to buy another card. Namely, the player must stop the game. Stopping the game is inconvenient for the player, and it reduces sales of the pachinko hall.
In the lending unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. No. 2001-34815, the card can be reissued. But, the structure for accommodating and reissuing the card is very complex, so that a manufacturing cost must be high and the size of the lending unit must be large. An ordinary space between adjacent pachinko machines is 4 cm. Therefore, it is difficult to assemble the lending unit, which is capable of accommodating and reissuing cards, in such narrow space. If the space between the adjacent pachinko machines is made wider, the lending unit can be assembled therein, but all pachinko machines must be renewed with very high cost. Further, the card accommodating section having large volume cannot be provided in the narrow space. If the card accommodating section is provided between the narrow space, it accommodates about ten cards at the most (see paragraph 0060). Namely, the card accommodating section will be filled soon, and the lending unit cannot be used until the cards are removed from the card accommodating section. Therefore, employees must frequently collect cards, and sales of the pachinko hall will be reduced. Further, the card accommodating section must be detached from the housing when cards are removed therefrom, so it is difficult to collect cards in a short time.